Delhi violence: High Court grants Centre 4 weeks to file reply on pleas seeking FIR against BJP leaders

Delhi High Court posted the matter for next hearing on 13 April

NEW DELHI: The Centre and the Delhi Police on Thursday (February 27, 2020) told the Delhi High Court that they needed more time to file charges against the BJP leaders for making alleged hate speeches. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing Delhi Police, said the petitioner in his wisdom selected only three speeches as ‘’hate speech’’ but there are many such hate speeches. 

Mehta also urged the high court to accept his application for impleadment of the Union of India as a party to the petition. The Solicitor General, on behalf of Delhi Police, urged the high court that there should be no hurried intervention till normalcy is restored in northeast Delhi, where violence has so far claimed at least 34 deaths and left over 200 people injured. 

“We have received a large number of videos. But we came to the conclusion that this is not the appropriate time to go into this. A reasonable time should be granted...Let the normalcy be restored. I may be given time to file a reply,’’ Mehta further informed the high court.

Sharing more information with the court, Mehta said that 48 FIRs have been lodged till date in relation to arson, looting and the deaths due to the recent violence in northeast Delhi.

According to the Delhi Police, at least 106 people have been arrested and all are locals in connection with the violence. More arrests will be made on the basis of CCTV footage recovered, it added. The police also said that they have got visuals of outsiders and they are being identified.

The submissions were made during hearing on plea moved before the Delhi High court seeking lodging of FIR against three BJP leaders.

Plea caalling for registration of FIRs against Congress president Sonia Gandhi, ex-president Rahul Gandhi, its general secretary Priyanka Vadra and others for allegedly giving hate speeches have also been filed in the high court. One of the pleas has sought registration of FIR against Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and Aam Aadmi Party leader Amanatullah Khan for allegedly making hate speeches.

The plea has also sought setting up of a Special Investigation Team to look into the alleged hate speeches. Another plea, filed by Hindu Sena, alleged that hate speeches were given by All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) leaders Asaduddin Owaisi and Akbaruddin Owaisi.

One plea alleged that inflammatory speeches were made by AIMIM MLA from Mumbai Waris Pathan and said that his speeches surcharged communal tension in Delhi which resulted in death of several people. 

The high court, while allowing the impleadment of Centre in PIL seeking lodging of FIRs and arrests in northeast Delhi communal violence over CAA, granted Centre and police 4 weeks to file their replies to the PILs and posted the matter for next hearing on 13 April.